Kent revealed as one of the best places to start a business in the UK

The analysis ranked each county based on factors that are key to a new business’s success, including the number of start-ups in the last year, business growth rates, the availability of ultrafast broadband and distance to London.

Kent’s commutable distance from London (30 miles), high rate of newly-founded businesses (7,110 last year alone) and proportion of high growth businesses (265) helped the county to rank tenth.

The West Midlands beat Kent to the top spot due to its own thriving business community. With more businesses founded in 2023 than anywhere else in the UK (13,785), and one of the largest populations of ‘high growth’ businesses, the area offers start-ups a strong chance of success without the London price-tag.

The research, which was conducted by ultrafast broadband provider, Trooli, revealed that Hertfordshire comes in second to the West Midlands, with its easy access to London (16 miles) a huge draw for start-ups looking to start a business outside of the capital. Plus, according to ONS data, the county is home to over 230 high-growth businesses, making it one of the highest-growth areas in the UK.

Andy Conibere, CEO of Trooli, comments: “We support local businesses every day and, with a record number of companies launched last year, we wanted to investigate the start-up hotspots across the country.

“Given how important connectivity is to business success, we weren’t surprised to see counties in the South of England dominating the top spots. With reliable broadband speeds, close proximity to London, and a history of remarkable business growth, areas like Kent offer huge opportunities for entrepreneurs.”